Harvard Tennis Hosts Season-Opening Fall Chowder Fest Tournament

Senior co-captain Davis Mangham will lead the Crimson in the team's season-opening tournament, the Harvard Fall Chowder Fest, held at the Beren Tennis Center. (photo courtesy of Gil Talbot)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –The Harvard men's tennis team opens up its season hosting the Harvard Fall Chowder Fest to be held at the Beren Tennis Center (the Murr Center courts if weather dictates) on Sept. 23-25. The Crimson welcomes the defending NCAA men's tennis National Champion USC Trojans along with Texas A&M and Michigan.

Scouting Harvard The Crimson finished 2010-11 with a 15-10 overall record going 4-3 in Ivy League play. Harvard welcomes back 2011 first-team All-Ivy selection, senior Jonathan Pearlman. Pearlman, who recorded an impressive 19 victories last season, spent a majority of the time competing in the number one slot for the Crimson. Entering this season Pearlman was 78th in singles action and a member of the No.54 doubles team according to the International Tennis Association preseason rankings.

Harvard will be led by senior captains Alistair Felton and Davis Mangham. Felton registered a 22-15 record overall, and was a key member of a lethal doubles team with junior Andy Nguyen that totaled 22 victories in 2010-11. Mangham served as a reliable doubles partner for much of last season splitting time with three different partners contributing to a 5-2 record. In singles action the Seattle, Wash., native accrued a 4-5 record in his junior campaign.
Scouting USC The Trojans begin their 2011-12 season in Cambridge, Mass., this weekend searching for their fourth-straight NCAA Championship. USC successfully defended its NCAA crown last season defeating No.1 ranked Virginia for the program's 19th NCAA title overall. USC welcomes back the sophomore Ray Sarmiento and senior Daniel Nguyen, the No. 15 and No. 16 ranked singles players in the country as decided by the ITA preseason rankings. Sarimento and Ngyuen were also ranked 35th in doubles play on the ITA rankings preseason charts.

Scouting Michigan
The Wolverines finished the 2010-11 season with a 13-11 record going 6-4 in the Big Ten and falling to Illinois in the conference tournament. Junior Evan King headlines the roster for Michigan coming into this weekend as the eighth ranked player in singles action according to the ITA preseason poll. King went 21-3 last season, competing primarily in the number one slot for Michigan. King and teammate sophomore Shaun Bernstein were ranked 33rd as a doubles team according to the ITA. Bernstein paired with three different teammates last season earning a record of 16-17 overall.

Scouting Texas A&M The Aggies travel to Cambridge, Mass., coming off a record-setting season along with their second-straight top-10 finish. Texas A&M completed the 2010-11 season going 27-5, while boasting a 5-1 conference record. The Aggies made it to the NCAA round of 16 but were bested by Stanford. Entering this weekend's tournament senior Alexis Klegou is the highest ranked singles player for the Aggies, sitting at No. 42 on the ITA charts. Meanwhile junior Alberto Bautista and sophomore Junior Ore were rated No. 44 the ITA doubles list.

The Road Ahead Following this weekend's tournament the Crimson will take a week off and prepare for ITA All-Americans in Tulsa, Okla, running Oct. 5-9.